Draumurinn er skýr.

to be

Breakdown of Draumurinn er skýr.

• skýr: clear
• draumurinn: the dream

Questions & Answers about Draumurinn er skýr.

What does the suffix -inn in draumurinn indicate?

In Icelandic, the definite article (“the”) is not a separate word but a suffix attached to the noun.

• draumur = “a dream” (indefinite)
• draumurinn = “the dream” (definite, masculine, nominative singular)

Why is the adjective skýr not in its weak form skýri, even though draumurinn is definite?

Icelandic adjectives have two declension patterns: strong (for predicates or indefinite nouns) and weak (for attributive adjectives with definite nouns).
Here, skýr is a predicate adjective following the linking verb er (“is”), so it uses the strong form regardless of the noun’s definiteness.
If it were attributive (directly before a definite noun), you would use the weak form:

• Attributive: skýri draumurinn (“the clear dream”)
• Predicative: draumurinn er skýr (“the dream is clear”)

How do I know that draumurinn is in the nominative case?

1. Subject role: In the sentence Draumurinn er skýr, draumurinn is the subject of er (“is”), so it must be in the nominative case.
2. Ending clue: For masculine nouns, the definite nominative singular ending is -inn. If it were in another case, the ending would change:
   
   • Genitive: draumsins
   • Dative: draumeinander (not used here, just for illustration)

How is the diphthong au in draumurinn pronounced?

• au in Icelandic is pronounced roughly as [œi], a front-rounded vowel gliding to [i].
• It sounds a bit like the “oy” in English “boy,” but with a more fronted and rounded initial sound.
  So drau- ≈ [drœi].

How do I pronounce skýr?

• The letter ý is a long [iː] sound.
• Thus skýr is pronounced [skiːr], with a clear “s-k-eer” sound.
• The final -r is articulated, similar to a tapped or lightly trilled “r.”

Can I drop the -inn and say Draumur er skýr?

Yes, but that changes the meaning:

• Draumur er skýr = “A dream is clear” (indefinite)
• Draumurinn er skýr = “The dream is clear” (definite, referring to a specific dream)

How would I turn this into a question: “Is the dream clear?”

You simply invert the subject and the verb, following Icelandic V2 word order for questions:

• Er draumurinn skýr?
  Note the verb er moves to first position, and you add a question mark.

What are some synonyms for skýr when meaning “clear” or “distinct”?

• ljós (lit. “light,” used metaphorically: “clear/bright”)
• greinilegur (meaning “evident,” “distinct”)
• skýrt skiljanlegur (compound: “clearly understandable”)
  However, skýr is the most common single-word equivalent of English “clear” in this context.